


In vino temeritas

by Likimeya



Category: Temeraire - Novik
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-02
Updated: 2010-04-02
Packaged: 2017-10-08 15:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/77074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Likimeya/pseuds/Likimeya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a quiet night on board the Allegiance, unexpected feelings drive Laurence into self-analysis. But even with Laurence, that has eventually to come to an end...</p><p>A little post-Victory-of-Eagles fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In vino temeritas

There was a momentary lull in their easy conversation and they gazed out into the black Atlantic night in companionable silence.  
Captains Laurence and Granby had taken to spending most of their long tropical evening hours on board the Allegiance in this fashion, playing chess (or sometimes cards, if the elusive Tharkay joined them) and sipping wine, isolated by Temeraire's huge bulk – the steaming Iskierka was constantly avoided lately, much to her disgruntlement and the gloating Temeraire's delight. It was hot enough as it was and Laurence, unlike his friend, would never bring himself to appear without his shirt in public, not even in the most excruciating heat. He had already said farewell to his neck cloth weeks ago – Temeraire now used it to polish his jewellery – and that seemed to him a big enough step for the time being.

Laurence rolled the last of the worst wine Captain Riley could spare around in his cup and watched the reflected light from the dragon deck's single lantern swirl in it. It was funny, he reflected, how quickly and readily one adapted to even the direst of situations. For the love of God, wasn't this the most unthinkably embarrassing position in which a formerly respectable officer in his Majesty's service could find himself? On a prison ship, a convicted traitor being deported to the far side of the world, despised by nearly every soul on board, from the lowliest sea rat to his one-time best friend. And yet here he was enjoying himself, perfectly content as long as he could rest by his dragon's side and play and talk with his mates, and the devil may take the future. What was the matter with him?

He stared out into the night again. The unfamiliar constellations exasperated him; however hard he gazed at them, they wouldn't fall into recognisable patterns. He kept watching and trying nonetheless.

Presently he felt Granby lean in to him, whether from tipsiness or drowsiness or a desire for some kind of reassurance Laurence could not fathom. Granby did not seem to think much of it. Laurence, on the other hand, was acutely aware, of the intimacy of the touch. It felt huge out here in the dark and quiet. There was only one thin layer of clothing between them, and Granby's arm lay naked against his side. He felt it burning against his own arm, from where it sent little sparks down into his fingertips and up along the back of his neck. Laurence suppressed a treacherous shudder of delight.

He grinned mirthlessly. It figured. In the last couple of years, from being an honourable captain beyond reproof of the Royal Navy, he had developed first into one of those uncivilised aviator rogues, then a housebreaker, widow-maker, butcher, and finally, a traitor. Why not add sodomite to this charming list of recommendations? After all, he could not be condemned to hang twice, could he?

Just then, Temeraire snorted in his sleep, and Laurence flinched. He had dropped back into sarcastic-brooding mode, he realised guiltily. And that although he had long since admitted to himself that he felt that neither his own life nor that of his friends and colleagues deserved to be the subject of his derision. Actually, they had long ago won not only his respect, but also his admiration. He had not resigned himself to circumstances, but embraced his new life with a thankful heart.

"You would not have thought of it yourself", Granby had said so many months ago, when they'd first met again after his treasonous escapade. He remembered it so clearly. Because it hurt; had hurt even back then. He had felt like he still wasn't counted in; as if Granby still saw in him the stiff-necked conventionalist he might once have been, and thought he would be consoled by the assurance that Granby thought was an unimaginative soldier with a love of authorities. A man who would never have thought of doing something that was merciful and right. Who would never have thought of it as an optional path of action.

But in truth, Laurence had made his decision against his old life a long time ago. At least from his present point of view, everything seemed to have been inevitable from the moment he had taken on his heavyweight responsibility and become a member of this altogether not-so-very-repulsive subculture. And if he was honest with himself, looking at his friends and looking deep into his own heart, he felt no true regret whatsoever.  
He had not lied to Temeraire that first day of their journey when he'd told him that he did very well. Once he'd freed himself of the habit of seeing everyone and everything with the eyes of the honest-to-goodness naval officer, he'd come to the conclusion that his life really was not that bad at all. He'd had to admit to himself that he was content in spite of his predicament, at times even gleefully happy about it.

To be sure, developing improper feelings for his fellow captain seemed to be taking unconventionality a little far. Yet he could not help but feel that it, like everything else, would in the end be all right, one way or another. He had to laugh quietly. Where did that carefree attitude come from? From that poor excuse for a wine perhaps.

*****

They had been silent for a while. When Laurence turned to Granby again it was without surprise that he found the other man studying him with a somewhat quizzical look. He wished that Granby could read his thoughts. It would be a shame if he never knew them.

Then Granby smiled, and the warmth in that smile and the twinkle in his eyes made Laurence's breath catch.

"Will?"  
A pause.  
"Yes?"  
I'm glad Lieutenant Dayes didn't take over Temeraire that day "

The unexpectedness of that announcement almost gave Laurence vertigo. They looked each other in the eye, for two seconds, three… four – Laurence felt like something was supposed to happen now. But nothing did. John flushed and looked away again.

Yes, something might be supposed to happen and it might be inevitable and right, but Laurence began to suspect that it wouldn't happen unless he did it. He put his half-filled glass down and pushed the chessboard out of the way from where it lay between them. No hesitation now. He should not make this more difficult for him than necessary. He was unafraid now.

He cupped one of his friends sunburnt, freckled cheek in his hand. John swallowed and closed his shining eyes. Laurence shifted his hand to back of his neck, trailing goose flesh in its wake, and pulled himself in for a slow, illegally deep kiss. A battalion of little Winchesters was fluttering in his stomach when he felt John smile against his lips.

This stolen kiss here in the dark, between the insubordinate and the renegade, on his prison ship – it felt just as inarguably right as everything else that had happened since Laurence had met his dark-winged Destiny.


End file.
